October 09, 2024, 15:24
For the second year in a row, the festivals in Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Rotterdam, Thessaloniki, and Tallinn have come together as part of an ongoing initiative for the support of emerging film professionals: Launchpad.
Launchpad was created with the goal of facilitating the professional integration of film professionals active in the fields of sales, marketing, traditional and online distribution, cinema operations, festival programming, and film funds and commissions. The Launchpad program provides participants with better access to the partner film festivals.
Applications for the Czech part of the Launchpad program are now open. The deadline is 21 October 2024.
Through Launchpad, the partner festivals offer five selected film professionals from the Czech Republic the chance to participate in important events, both online and physically, with the goal of expanding their international network of contacts and building strong international partnerships. Participants will receive free accreditation to all partner festivals for a period of twelve months, access to networking events, and a program tailored to their needs.
One of the professionals involved in Launchpad’s first edition was Zuzana Černá, International Sales & Festival Coordinator at the Negativ production company, who says of her experience:
“Launchpad was a great opportunity for me to get to know a far greater range of festivals and to make new contacts – surprisingly, not only on the international level, but domestically as well, since none of the Czech participants knew each other. Launchpad helped me to establish new working connections and form valuable friendships. I would recommend the initiative to anyone starting out in the film industry. It provides a valuable overview of the diverse range of film festivals, offers insight into how they work, and lets you meet foreign colleagues.”
Other participants were producer Jakub Rálek, PR manager at Aerofilms Beata Mrazíková, and booking & VOD manager at CinemArt Johana Minářová.
In a joint statement, Markus Duffner (head of Locarno Pro, Locarno International Film Festival), Angeliki Vergou (head of Agora, Thessaloniki International Film Festival), Marge Liiske (head of Industry, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival), Alessia Acone (head of IFFR PRO, Rotterdam International Film Festival), and Hugo Rosák (head of the Film Industry Office, Karlovy Vary IFF) said:
“Film professionals in the first few years of their careers are tomorrow’s key industry players and at the same time one of the most fragile segments of our business. In our still very closed-off industry environment, they are those struggling the most to find their place or to get a proper introduction to the film business, fair treatment and healthy opportunities to grow as professionals. With Launchpad, we want to change that. We believe that the Launchpad network is a first step towards a more inclusive and accessible film industry. This will be possible in a more open and cohesive landscape, where festival and film industry events are able to collaborate and join forces for common goals.”
Emerging film professional from the Czech Republic who would like to participate in the second edition of the Launchpad initiative may apply HERE until 21 October 2024. The industry program’s year-round activities are made possible thanks to support from the PPF Foundation.
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